Written Answers Nos. 471-491
471. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of drivers intercepted by Gardaí in 2025 who were arrested and charged with drink driving on the day of the offence; the number prosecuted; the number disqualified in court; and the number who had their driver number captured in court on conviction. [3210/26]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
472. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3223/26]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the visa application referred to has been refused. The reasons for this decision were set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicant at that time. An appeal of this decision was launched on 23 April 2025.
It should be noted that each application for an Irish visa is assessed on its own merits, having regard to the circumstances of the case and the applicable criteria.
All visa applicants are advised that the responsibility is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on our website. People that carefully follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision.
It should be noted that visa appeals are dealt with in strict chronological order. A decision will be issued to the applicant as soon as full consideration has been given by a Visa Appeals Officer.
The person concerned can now directly check the status of their visa appeal on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at:
www.portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
473. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if Donabate is included in the Garda Capital Investment Programme 2023–2030; and if not, the reason. [3227/26]
View answerBy law, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes all decisions related to the upgrade of the Garda Estate. Works on the Estate are undertaken by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in cooperation with the Garda Authorities. This includes planning and completion matters.
The Garda Capital Investment Programme for the years 2023-2030 has been developed following detailed engagement between An Garda Síochána, the Office of Public Works and my Department.
This programme identifies a series of estate projects reflecting Garda priorities and emerging needs. The provision of upgraded, refurbished and additional Garda facilities nationwide is included in this programme. The provision of a new Garda Station in Donabate is not included in the programme. Nonetheless, this does not exclude refurbishment or upgrading of certain aspects of the Garda Station in the coming years.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the determination of the need for an upgraded, refurbished or new Garda Station at any location is considered by An Garda Síochána based on a range of factors. These include, but are not limited to, the accommodation requirements arising from the ongoing expansion of the Garda workforce, the implementation of the Garda Operating Model, and the long-term accommodation requirements at a national level to support operational policing.
474. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the initiatives planned to address juvenile crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3263/26]
View answerThe Government’s focus on youth diversion and interventions is a keystone in the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027. The strategy emphasises early intervention, prevention, family support, and community engagement. It is aimed at promoting positive behavioural change and targeting this behaviour so that we can break the cycle of offending by young people.
Since the enactment of the Children Act 2001, Ireland’s approach has been to divert children from the criminal justice system with detention of children considered only as a last resort. An essential pillar of this child-focused approach is the Garda Youth Diversion Programme.
Under this Programme, any child between the ages of 12 and 17 who commits a criminal offence is entitled to be considered for admission to a local Youth Diversion Programme (YDP). Assessment of each case is done by the Director of the Garda Diversion Programme (Garda Superintendent).
The operation of this programme includes informal and formal Garda warnings, delivered in the presence of parents or guardians, as well as provision for supervision by a Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer.
YDPs are community-based and multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives. There are currently 94 YDPs in operation across the State, with nationwide coverage of the service having recently been achieved through the establishment of two final projects in North Tipperary and East Clare last year.
The programmes offered by YDPs provide participants with suitable activities to facilitate their personal development, promote civic responsibility, encourage pro-social behaviour in their communities and improve their educational outcomes and long-term employability prospects.
These opportunities are intended to allow young people to reflect on and challenge their past behaviour, enhance their capacity to regulate their emotions and resolve conflict and develop positive and appropriate relationships with their peers. Restorative justice and motivational interviewing techniques are embedded in the work of YDPs.
Since the launch of the Youth Justice Strategy 2021 - 2027, considerable progress has been made to enhance the YDP network’s capacity to engage those who are most at risk of involvement in criminal activity, as well as address the underlying factors that cause this involvement.
This has been achieved by extending existing project catchment areas and developing specialised Early Intervention, Family Support and Harder-to-Reach programmes which seek to target the following groups:
• Immediate family members of participants who are contributing to children and young people’s offending behaviour.
• Children aged between 8 and 11 years who are at risk of coming to the attention of law enforcement once they reach the age of criminal responsibility; and
• Prolific young offenders who present to YDPs and youth-related services with complex needs and are more likely to come before the Courts or enter detention.
A significant allocation of €7.3 million in additional core exchequer funding for Youth Justice measures was announced as part of Budget 2026. This will facilitate the continued implementation of evidence-based, wraparound approaches to Youth Justice policy, practice and research in Ireland.
While the vast majority of children are deemed to be suitable for diversion by the Garda National Youth Diversion Bureau, there is a population of young offenders engaged in serious and prolific offending who require more targeted interventions and therefore may be deemed unsuitable for diversion from the Criminal Justice system.
The Department, in collaboration with the Probation Service, operates a number of initiatives distinctly designed to address serious and prolific youth offending, these are: the Greentown Programme, the Youth Justice Agency Response to Crime (YJARC), and targeted interventions for children who are harder to reach in terms of addressing prolific and serious offending.
In addition, from 1 January this year, management of the Bail Supervision Scheme (BSS) transferred from my Department to the Probation Service. BSS offers courts an alternative option to detaining a young person who comes before them by offering them the possibility of granting bail with intensive supervision.
The BSS scheme currently serves the Children Courts in Dublin, Limerick and Cork. The scheme uses Multisystemic Therapy (MST) to support families of young people to stick to their conditions prior to subsequent court appearances.
475. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people who have come to Ireland in each of the past ten years under the family reunification rules. [3301/26]
View answerIt has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
476. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of offences aggravated under section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 have been recorded in proceedings as per section 8(4) of the Act, to outline which protected characteristic or characteristics were recorded in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3311/26]
View answerThe Government is determined to stamp out hate-motivated crime and protect vulnerable communities. Everyone has the right to live safely, free from intimidation or abuse regardless of background. The introduction of the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 strengthens the law by ensuring perpetrators face tougher penalties where hatred is proven to be a motivating factor, or where hatred is demonstrated based on the identity of the victim.
An Garda Síochána takes hate crime very seriously. Every hate crime reported to An Garda Síochána is professionally investigated, and victims are supported during the criminal justice process. I am informed by An Garda Síochána that 40 proceedings (charge/summons) have been initiated since 1 January 2025 which referenced an offence contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, aggravated by hatred as inserted by the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024.
I am further informed that the protected characteristics in question require manual review of free text narratives to discern. Moreover, multiple protected characteristics can be specified on a single charge/summons or not at all. The most prominent of these was ‘Race’ which was referenced on 18 occasions. Other protected characteristics were referenced fewer than 10 times each, which is below An Garda Síochána’s reporting threshold.
The management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the Judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and the Constitution. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
However, to be of assistance to the Deputy I have sought information from the Courts Service. I am informed by the Courts Service that section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 provides that a Court shall without prejudice to any other enactment or rule of law and subject to subsections (2) and (3), treat as an aggravating factor hatred against a person or a group of persons on account of their protected characteristics or any of those characteristics on the part of a person in the commission of an offence to which the section applies for the purposes of determining the sentence to be imposed on the person for that offence.
I’m further informed that while the judge must have regard to this in sentencing, this is not recorded on the Courts Service case management systems. Hence, the Courts Service have advised that it is not possible to run a report on instances when this has been considered, or what characteristics /protected characteristics of the person/group of persons concerned relevant to the offence.
477. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in County Waterford awaiting income support and other scheme payments at year-end 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [3028/26]
View answer478. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in each county awaiting income support and other scheme payments at year-end 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [3029/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 477 and 478 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy when it is available.
|
County |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Carlow |
14 |
9 |
13 |
31 |
82 |
201 |
|
Cavan |
37 |
43 |
42 |
58 |
53 |
362 |
|
Clare |
70 |
84 |
64 |
62 |
91 |
406 |
|
Cork |
156 |
155 |
136 |
263 |
371 |
1398 |
|
Donegal |
34 |
26 |
20 |
97 |
119 |
1299 |
|
Dublin |
2 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
48 |
80 |
|
Galway |
76 |
95 |
75 |
155 |
281 |
1330 |
|
Kerry |
100 |
96 |
69 |
125 |
150 |
988 |
|
Kildare |
13 |
6 |
13 |
36 |
91 |
310 |
|
Kilkenny |
45 |
50 |
44 |
80 |
116 |
290 |
|
Laois |
29 |
21 |
28 |
55 |
99 |
287 |
|
Leitrim |
44 |
42 |
37 |
54 |
51 |
356 |
|
Limerick |
52 |
59 |
53 |
88 |
89 |
411 |
|
Longford |
38 |
37 |
46 |
42 |
56 |
202 |
|
Louth |
7 |
3 |
8 |
26 |
78 |
144 |
|
Mayo |
79 |
75 |
70 |
148 |
191 |
1506 |
|
Meath |
27 |
27 |
29 |
71 |
172 |
403 |
|
Monaghan |
16 |
17 |
17 |
29 |
50 |
254 |
|
Offaly |
34 |
36 |
34 |
60 |
61 |
241 |
|
Roscommon |
55 |
51 |
51 |
92 |
92 |
393 |
|
Sligo |
42 |
35 |
20 |
52 |
56 |
368 |
|
Tipperary |
63 |
70 |
54 |
129 |
185 |
752 |
|
Waterford |
37 |
37 |
22 |
74 |
53 |
313 |
|
Westmeath |
31 |
24 |
30 |
68 |
73 |
251 |
|
Wexford |
30 |
38 |
21 |
91 |
266 |
437 |
|
Wicklow |
23 |
29 |
19 |
49 |
80 |
336 |
479. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farm inspections carried out in County Waterford in each year 2020 to 2025; and the number resulting in penalties, in tabular form. [3030/26]
View answer480. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farm inspections carried out in each county for each year 2020 to 2025; and the number resulting in penalties, in tabular form. [3031/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 480 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy when it is available.
|
County |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
|
2023 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
Inspections |
Penalties |
Inspections |
Penalties |
Inspections |
Penalties |
Inspections |
Penalties |
Inspections |
Penalties |
Inspections |
Penalties |
|
|
Carlow |
368 |
57 |
642 |
65 |
462 |
38 |
451 |
30 |
424 |
65 |
386 |
36 |
|
Cavan |
1481 |
192 |
1725 |
218 |
1305 |
187 |
995 |
111 |
969 |
155 |
853 |
86 |
|
Clare |
1280 |
158 |
1182 |
131 |
1492 |
106 |
1181 |
88 |
1009 |
141 |
878 |
96 |
|
Cork |
3339 |
453 |
3208 |
455 |
3201 |
302 |
2923 |
295 |
3184 |
347 |
2565 |
169 |
|
Donegal |
1342 |
222 |
1465 |
276 |
1779 |
264 |
1240 |
170 |
1365 |
276 |
1283 |
88 |
|
Dublin |
213 |
17 |
471 |
13 |
173 |
16 |
243 |
12 |
196 |
19 |
222 |
17 |
|
Galway |
3386 |
318 |
2235 |
320 |
1833 |
248 |
2235 |
272 |
1844 |
405 |
1816 |
168 |
|
Kerry |
1566 |
182 |
1493 |
145 |
2126 |
178 |
1702 |
191 |
1659 |
194 |
1392 |
78 |
|
Kildare |
431 |
50 |
686 |
102 |
784 |
80 |
558 |
27 |
568 |
49 |
467 |
45 |
|
Kilkenny |
886 |
176 |
671 |
143 |
1448 |
130 |
993 |
55 |
1024 |
99 |
852 |
77 |
|
Laois |
923 |
113 |
1028 |
121 |
765 |
93 |
682 |
42 |
750 |
81 |
632 |
50 |
|
Leitrim |
1450 |
77 |
662 |
78 |
605 |
53 |
579 |
62 |
569 |
196 |
359 |
18 |
|
Limerick |
1079 |
131 |
1436 |
128 |
828 |
57 |
1067 |
69 |
1008 |
101 |
881 |
78 |
|
Longford |
320 |
71 |
841 |
115 |
367 |
60 |
526 |
38 |
440 |
68 |
353 |
18 |
|
Louth |
325 |
42 |
690 |
68 |
303 |
79 |
440 |
44 |
500 |
64 |
467 |
39 |
|
Mayo |
1922 |
210 |
2242 |
202 |
1923 |
175 |
1331 |
173 |
1449 |
289 |
1530 |
114 |
|
Meath |
1281 |
151 |
821 |
109 |
1071 |
153 |
1034 |
61 |
1090 |
105 |
979 |
97 |
|
Monaghan |
794 |
131 |
1337 |
166 |
1929 |
189 |
1001 |
52 |
963 |
83 |
882 |
63 |
|
Offaly |
1458 |
105 |
644 |
113 |
590 |
77 |
787 |
47 |
697 |
76 |
603 |
32 |
|
Roscommon |
1546 |
174 |
1222 |
160 |
1659 |
143 |
967 |
105 |
865 |
187 |
653 |
36 |
|
Sligo |
486 |
77 |
753 |
83 |
1041 |
140 |
630 |
75 |
558 |
93 |
451 |
19 |
|
Tipperary |
1746 |
166 |
1914 |
152 |
1592 |
100 |
1476 |
44 |
1624 |
88 |
1298 |
62 |
|
Waterford |
459 |
98 |
535 |
90 |
1064 |
104 |
606 |
40 |
729 |
62 |
551 |
46 |
|
Westmeath |
756 |
95 |
786 |
138 |
837 |
97 |
802 |
53 |
819 |
98 |
690 |
38 |
|
Wexford |
813 |
149 |
1619 |
149 |
1518 |
125 |
1049 |
59 |
1025 |
124 |
864 |
74 |
|
Wicklow |
745 |
75 |
699 |
69 |
690 |
68 |
625 |
21 |
619 |
79 |
616 |
55 |
481. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry licence applications submitted, approved and pending in each county for each year 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [3032/26]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
482. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of capital funding allocated to and drawn down by harbours and piers in each county for each year 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [3033/26]
View answerMy Department operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute.
In addition, my Department also has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of North Harbour at Cape Clear, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland, in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board piers, lights and Beacons Act.
The responsibility for the development and maintenance of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance and their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage thereafter.
However, my Department has, as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provided limited funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small scale capital projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.
This programme is operated on an annual basis and not on a multi-annual, aside from when my Department administered the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023, which provided unprecedented funding under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
One of the actions for my Department in the Programme for Government is to maintain support for the inshore fishing sector, aquaculture as well investing in our State Fishery Harbour Centres and public marine infrastructure and I am fully committed to this process.
The table attached illustrates the allocation and drawdown for each local authority in the Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Schemes between 2020 and 2025.
Expenditure provisions for future years will be determined through the National Budgetary process.
483. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount his Department, or agencies under its remit, spent on advertising on a social media platform (details supplied) in each of the years 2024 and 2025 respectively; to outline any expenditure on verification or premium accounts on the platform in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3095/26]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not placed any paid advertising on the social media channel platform detailed in each of the years 2024 and 2025. I can also confirm that my Department has no expenditure on verification or premium accounts on the social media platform detailed in each of the years 2024 and 2025.
As regards the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.
484. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of greyhounds injured in racing, trials and sales events in 2025 and to-date in 2026, by type of injury; the date and location where they occurred; the number killed outright or euthanised by track vets; the number and causes of additional racing fatalities; and the results of any related post-mortems. [3173/26]
View answerRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to that body for direct reply.
485. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses from the horse racing industry sent to slaughter in 2025 in Ireland and abroad; and the locations of the slaughterhouses. [3174/26]
View answerThere has been no equine slaughter facility in Ireland since the closure of the previous facility in 2024. Facilitating the establishment of a new equine slaughter facility is an action under the recommendations of the Wall Report to improve equine welfare and traceability. Three notifications of intent have been submitted to operate as an equine slaughter premises, one of which has passed this initial stage. The next stage is the submission of a formal application and my Department awaits this.
Six hundred and eighty four horses were exported for slaughter to EU Member States in 2025, 111 to Belgium and 573 to France. The EU export certification system, TRACES, does not distinguish between horses exported to the UK for slaughter or for other reasons. However, quarterly updates received from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK recorded 666 Irish horses slaughtered there up to the end of September. It is not possible to say what proportion of these horses were from the racing industry as this is not a data set captured at certification or slaughter.
486. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of injured horses killed at Irish racecourses or later killed elsewhere in 2025, with a breakdown of type of injury and location; and if, given the ongoing suffering and death at races, he will defund horse racing. [3175/26]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. Details relating to racehorse fatalities and injuries is a matter for HRI, therefore, that part of the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
The horse racing industry receives financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund (the Fund) under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001. My Department's support is critical to the survival and continued development of the Horse Racing Industry and has allowed Ireland to develop a world class industry that has developed a reputation for excellence in all areas of the thoroughbred racing industry.
This Government remains fully committed to the future of the horse-racing sector, recognising the contribution made by the sector socially and economically to both urban and rural Ireland. This continued support is however contingent on the sector continuing to meet the highest standards of equine care and welfare.
I have no plans to discontinue Exchequer support for this sector.
487. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses killed at race events (details supplied) or later killed elsewhere as a result of injuries sustained at these festivals; and if, given the high number of fatalities, he will launch investigations. [3176/26]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
488. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when surgical artificial insemination of canines, including greyhounds, will be banned in Ireland, given the results of his Department's public consultation which found that 99% of those who responded want the grotesque procedure outlawed (details supplied). [3177/26]
View answerThe Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhound Regulations 2005.
The report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs, which was approved by Government in March 2023, and has been published online at www.gov.ie/en/publication/0d6d7-working-group-on-control-of-dogs/#report-of-the-working-group-on-the-control-of-dogs, includes a recommendation that surgical artificial insemination in canines be prohibited, where the word canine encompasses all breeds of dogs.
In 2024, my Department held a public consultation on whether the practice of carrying out surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds should be banned or not and the results of the public consultation are now available on www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/publications/animal-welfare/#surgical-artificial-insemination-in-greyhounds.
My Department is closely examining this issue and will be providing advice on an appropriate course of action in the near future.
489. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will demand confirmation from the European Commission that no imports can be allowed into the EU of any Mercosur district produced goods that do not comply with recognised EU standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3193/26]
View answerThe Government has been very clear about Ireland’s concerns in relation to the EU-Mercosur Agreement and has expressed these consistently over a number of years, including on food safety and environmental standards enforced by Mercosur countries.
It is important to note, in terms of food safety, and animal and plant health - or SPS - standards that the EU’s standards are among the highest in the world and the Commission has consistently stated that these were never up for negotiation.
The Government is very firmly of the view that EU SPS standards must continue to be rigorously upheld for the benefit of European consumers. Indeed, the Commission has recently announced additional SPS checks and control measures, including a 50% increase in the number of audits carried out in non-EU countries over the next two years, a 33% increase in audits of EU Border Control Posts and closer monitoring of non-compliant commodities and countries.
The Commission has also committed to rolling out initiatives to better align the production standards of imported products with EU standards. We will continue to assess the detail of these proposals, and to engage intensively on their progression.
490. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied), relating to a family with two sons in need of ongoing supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3215/26]
View answer491. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review correspondence in relation to a family where two sons have additional educational needs and require significant supports; if she will ensure that a case conference is convened as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3217/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 491 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
